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kox803InsuffBooni – :
@Milto
Not mine. I have a 250ml, and 1 spray is bombastic. However, despite the potency, the scent itself is light/airy/transparent enough that I can do up to 3 sprays. I wouldn’t dare doing more than 4.
StepVer – :
Is it true that the 250ml of Kalemat Black is weaker in mixture and has moderate performance than the 100ml thats why the 250ml is cheaper – 120USD for 250ml and 90USD for 100ml
galoks – :
I’m back again just to appreciate this great fragrance…the performance is superb! This fragrance needs more love..it worth every penny.
Katapodia – :
It smells very much like a typical Middle Eastern concoction that has been done so many times before. A very smoky, spicy, oud-based fragrance. The oud is like the kind of low-quality oud that you can find in stores in the UAE, it has a very slight skankiness to it. These type of fragrances smell good as a one-off but soon become boring. It’s definitely not a safe blind-buy and not full bottle worthy. It’s a pass for me.
3/10
nfnmzyf – :
Great fragrance PERIOD!!!!…. Leave the hate..
This fragrance Lasts,lasts and lasts…..
24 hours on my skin…. Fills the room..Projection/Silage (6/8 hours) BEAST!!!!
pasha_k – :
Long lasting, sandal and oud feeling. Becomes smooth quickly after applying. You only need 1 or trow spray on chest and neck. Better in most of the oud fragrances
xud024bedyWelty – :
Opening is heated and warm. Fragrance has filled my room only with 1 spray.Great for winters. A must have for every fragrance lover
DjChK – :
One of the best winter fragrances in the market!
dRoNiO – :
Really good stuff, it is up there with the niche in terms of scent. Projection not anywhere as near as what the reviews suggest, it’s about a good projection as any ordinary western edp such as Supreme oud or Armani code profumo. Great for office wear, won’t offend anyone even if overapplied
scud-xx – :
Between Aoud Vanille by Mancera and Kalemat Black which of the two projects better and offer great sillage?
dollarr – :
Excellent and beast mode fragrance even during hot and humid weather in South East Asia, easily lasting 8 hours. Compliments magnet for me.
Unfortunately the sprayer is the absolute shit. Have to respray two or three times at the same spot to get even distribution of the juice. My only gripe of the fragrance.
leon011 – :
This is an absolute masterpiece of Middle Eastern perfumery and the best oud (agarwood infected by a certain fungus) fragrance out there in my opinion. It smells basically exclusively of oud to my nose with dark resinous vanilla and amber nuances. The oud in this smells really similar to dark chocolate, and I can’t get enough of it. On the drydown I smell hints of amber and vanilla as well but mostly it’s still the dark chocolate oud. Projection – as is the case with all good oud fragrances – is of course insanely strong, while longevity is unbelievable at over 12 hours with only 1 spray! The 250 ml bottle of this should last you an entire lifetime in fact. The fragrance is unisex in my opinion. Overall, this is an exceptional Middle Eastern fragrance that smells dark and sweet at the same time, and is totally fitting its name “Sihr al-Kalimat” which means ‘magic of words’ in Arabic, since it will leave you speechless. This is one of my top 5 fragrances of all time.
5/5
lorena_18 – :
It opens with a deep feminine scent and afterwards the agar wood expels.. It’s truly unisex. For men it’s a daytime perfume while for women it’s a night one. Very long lasting with noticeable sillage
fiu210speagoessenda – :
Smells like a liquid caramel poured on the top of hot flaming coal.
Nothing special and synthetic to the bone
DeltMarat – :
Performance on Kalemat Black is so NUCLEAR that I am getting worried about Arabian Oud company offices in London getting raided by the MI6 !!! HAHAHAHA 😀 😀 😀
On a more serious note (no pun intended :P), Kalemat Black really takes that sweet, ambery vibe present in the original Kalemat and intensifies it with the Oud. The typical dark, bitter opening is still there just like in the original. Once that dissipates you will be greeted with a very wearable cold weather sweet vanilla/oud fragrance which is “western” enough not to offend anybody even the relatively inexperienced noses.
Also- I cannot overstate how important it is to use no more than 2 sprays with this fragrance. Spray more than twice and you will evacuate the room! 🙂
ul20a – :
Wow is my first reaction to this, WOW! I hadn’t even heard about this company until I saw a store in Istanbul. I sampled some while there and eventually bought it for dirt cheap in Saudi Arabia ($60). On initial spray you get the frankincense and basil which is OK and lasts for about 10 minutes or so, and the the middle/base notes kick in. Vanilla, Amber, and OUD! These are huge in this fragrance and you’ll be smelling these notes for hours and hours. I absolutely love the blend they have of those 3 notes. Very well made fragrance.
To those that say longevity and projection are just OK, you have got to be kidding me or maybe you have the wrong fragrance. I am a big fan of Dior Homme Intense which is BEAST MODE in projection/longevity. Kalemat Black has more projection and wayyy more longevity than DHI imo. This scent lasts over 24 hours on skin. I can even smell it on me after taking a shower. I sprays some on my arm which got onto my jacket sleeve and I can still smell it on the jacket after a week!
I don’t think this is an offensive fragrance and it is a huge compliment magnet. I don’t dare to press all the way down on the sprayer, just a very light spray on the wrist and neck is all I need. The scent is listed as unisex but I personally think it’s more of a masculine scent. Definitely worth buying and now is one of my favorites.
Male, age 29, 10/10
Maksi_vbg – :
@pianist75
True. I tested it and tested Kalemat, both reminds me of each others, except that Sehr Al kalemat was veery week ( very strange tho ) On the other hand, the normal Kalemat was a beast ! Thank God this is what we want !
Golyi.86RUS – :
This beauty reveals two stages on my skin. First sexy. And after 6 hours or so, forget the ‘y’, what remains is the ‘sex’. This stage involuntarily makes me blush. It makes me think of the word ‘vulgar’, although I would never use that word to describe this. It is too beautiful to be called vulgar.
Technically, the first 6 hours could work in the office (although it does make a statement). However, I would never actually wear this to work; I would reach that blush-worthy stage before my workday is finished.
vedmak – :
I do 5 sprays.. Has this been reformulated?? I don’t get longevity more than 5 hours, mild to moderate projection fr 2 hour max.. Not a head Turner, not received 1 compliment also.. Fragrance s beautiful aftr 30mins of application- creamy vanilla… Definitely not beast mode as of now!!! Tried 2 times decants of 30ml from a trusted seller.. Any inputs on reformulation ? I smell cardamom in opening also..
veris45 – :
This is one of the best oriental fragrances ever.
Niche quality, very beautiful, very smooth, easy to wear, unisex.
A creamy amber oud combo that is so inoffensive and difficult to be disliked. Complements magnet.
Longevity is best in class (24+ hrs) as expected from Arabian Oud house and projection/sillage are outstanding. (4+ ft)
Strongly recommended.
VirqosIW – :
@ForbiddenCookie, so true. You don’t even need one full spray with this stuff. I just put one on my breast plate and I’m set for hours, and part of the next day. So yea, it’s a good thing the sprayer is not great. At times I feel like I only needed a half spray. I have 250mls of it as well. Yea, i should have some to leave the grandkids, lol!
Pianist, your blowing your nose out, sir. I can’t imagine putting thst much of this on, lol!
As a matter of fact, I am leaving a second review here, because I’m back to move this from heavy to enormous.
Who knows what exactly is in this, but it is wonderful. Definitely amber, and Oud. More than a touch of Oud also, which is what there site says. Kicks in an hour after sprayed, and stays all the way down.
I have oils from all over the oud regions, and let me tell you this stuff has the most, and strongest real oud in any EDP I have ever smelled.
This stuff is great.
shucha – :
smells like metallic oud, very strange smell in opening, dry down is average nothing unique.
BreeskRer – :
@pianist75 Dude, you’re killing your nostrils via olfactory fatigue.
Go one to two sprays. If you don’t believe me about the projection and longevity, spray once or twice on a piece of tissue and place it on the opposite side of a room.
ukt – :
bought it yesterday in London on Oxford street – was black friday so ive paid 60 pounds for it! came out of the shop with it- opened the box sprayed 6 times and for the first 15 minutes ive thought that wow this is it!! Strong at first and dominant but quickly became a skin scent for my disappointment…went home and sprayed 15 sprays i swear im not joking!! well…after that it lasted 5 to 6 hours strong and i could feel it around me but never porjecting like crazy as iy should at that amount of sprays considering that is EDP and oil based perfume coming from this legendary house !
i believe that Montale still holds the records when it comes to longevity and projection – however this house makes better concoctions they have better compositions and a better Perfumer of course their blends are truly fantastic !! so..for those that like soft medium projectors perfumes and dont mind reapplying every 3 to 4 hours this could be heaven – myself if i pay this kind of money i expect different –
nittee – :
A masterpiece, perfect for the colder months, beast of a performer.
JLstanton – :
Blind bought. I knew I was in for a treat, but nevertheless I was not prepared when the package arrived. I’ve had other favorite fragrances where I just indulge myself in the scent upon first sniff, but this was different. Upon taking off the cap I could smell it strongly, and at that moment all my thoughts ceased. All I could muster was a simple “wow.” I was mesmerized by the beauty and quality. Unquestionably niche. There is no alcohol blast in this. The frankincense smells nothing like that dirty or ashtray kind you’d expect in most designer fragrances. This one is smoky but crisp and clean. The entire composition is so inoffensive, elegant, and delicious. It smells like a very slightly toasted and mildly sweetened wheat-based pastry from a high end bakery sprinkled with a little bit of powder and caramelized brown sugar on top.
Despite being a sweet gourmand fragrance, this is completely non-cloying and wearable in the summer. Everybody around me loves it. Huge compliment-getter with extremely high projection and longevity. 2-3 sprays is probably ideal since it’s so soft and airy. I bought a 250ml bottle for $140 which equates to $56/100ml, and I have no idea how they can afford to ship such high quality ingredients for such a cheap price. The only downsides this fragrance has is that it has high olfactory fatigue and is less than perfect but still not bad in high heat.
Because I’m a practical man and not a collector, I both love and hate this scent as it has instantly made most of my entire fragrance collection obsolete. The versatility, quality, affordability, performance, and likability of this fragrance has me hard-pressed to find situations where this one is not ideal. I’m seriously selling and giving away most of my collection because of this. Instant new signature scent for life.
Leha345 – :
An amazing oud fragrance, very wearable. You can easily wear it all year around whenever you feel like it. Longevity 10+ hrs, lasts very long (days) on clothing.
Best quality for the most affordable price.
Definitely recommended..
kirill2009 – :
Guys, believe me, we are not in front of a scent, we are in front of a masterpiece. A scent that would seem simple, but is incredibly complex and deep.
Amber, frankincense and vanilla give birth to something magical, all surrounded by an oud that, though not very perceptible (at least at the beginning), strengthens this fragrance even more after a while.
I read reviews of people who compared this to honey, candy or sugar. They obviously did not have the gift of smell, poor people.
It’s a sweet fragrance is true, but it is absolutely NOT nauseating. It’s a luxurious, elegant, enchanting sweetness. A perfume that in my opinion contains the pure essence of Arabian perfumery. A “One Thousand and One Nights” scent, a fairytale perfume.
Like every Arabian Oud, longevity is amazing, more than 12 hours on the skin.
I can confirm that this fragrance is 100% unisex. I would recommend it to all those who are in love with the Arabian-style scents like me: spicy and luxurious!
agent_0010 – :
This is Istanbul’s Egyptian Bazzar near the Galata bridge in a bottle. Simply amazing and mesmerizing.
That is one of my favorite places in the world (at least the part I’ve seen so far) and whoever has been there knows what an assault on the senses it is.
Primarily sweet (but not candy sweet) and smokey, this one is a loud and not so clean market place oppulent with various kinds of dried fruits and spices and a healthy dose of vanilla, with some kind of slightly sour beverage, a freshly squezed granate.
It kind of feels like you’re feeding pigeons in front of the Mosque just around the corner from the bazzar, whilst looking on the Bosphorous and a yellowish orange sunset sky dotted by the ever present seagulls.
As one rewiever here said: Just buy it. Do not even think about it or bother trying. Just god damned buy it. Right freaking now.
Stellar performance in all departments, a monster, so be very carefull with application. A minimal dose is good for 14+ hours on skin and two washes on clothes.
If there is a Heaven, I’ll be damned if it doesn’t smell like this bad boy.
A must. A simple perfect A.
aristarx – :
This is beautiful, long lasting and just amazing
I can’t describe this perfume
The dry down is a beautiful caramelized vanilla with just the right amount of oud
Last all day
If this was made by nasomatto or tom ford
This would be hype to high heavens
But is better like this I don’t want a lot of people using this gem ; )
Oh one more thing I pay 129 plus shipping for 250ml
So 16 bucks per Oz is a fucking bargain
Thanks to all the great reviews here
xxx2009 – :
This is my Black arabian knight scent! A true enchanting perfume as the name suggests. A beautiful spicy, oud and vanilla combo which will hold on your skin all day long for the greater pleasure of your entourage. Bang for the buck and an amazing juice!
bulletlaym – :
So are we certain of the notes listed above, because Basil, and Olibanum are not listed in Arabian Oud’s note discription on their site.
Instead they list Patchouli Flower, Bergamot Extract, Violet, and Musk.
Seems reasonable that those notes, along with Honey in a more pure form could smell like Olibanum. It also stands to reason, because that Frankincense type smell lasts all the way to the extreme dry-down, where the Oud finally stands tall. Does not make sense for that note, or notes to be a singular top note.
Could also be slight of hand by the company, to not reveal their formula. FWIW, they list “a touch of Oud in the base to round everything out, which is what I get from it. I’m starting to see a trend here where if Oud is listed as a note people just intensive the hell out of it, like blinded, and hungry berserkers, thirsting for precious things. So yea, simmer a bit. 😉 XOXO!
This stuff is amazing. High quality, reasonable price, and near BM performance. Smells nothing like any designer fragrence you have most likely ever tried. These notes are very organic, and blended very well. If for no other reason other than to smell the real things, try it.
So yea, just buy it.
jul_6 – :
Only two words! BUY IT
kukun100 – :
Very good scent if you like a fragrance with beast mode sillage and longevity look no further one spray to the chest and your good for 10 hours easy.
dimon.306 – :
Arabian Oud Kalemat Black (Seher/Sehr Al Kalemat) is very similar to the original Kalemat, but to my nose, it has a bit of a darker vibe, almost dirty like black tar. Perhaps the the opening combination of olibanum (incense) and basil that fosters a sharper, dirtier edge to the otherwise familiar (like the original) trio of vanilla, amber, and oud.
Similarly a superb performer like the original, but ultimately not interesting enough to merit buying it in addition to the original, and not quite as purely interesting as the original.
7 out of 10
yulyguz – :
I remember smelling this just over 5 years ago. Really feel annoyed with myself as I recall this scent as being one of the best I’ve smelt to date but didn’t keep it when I was given an offer.
Anyway it was the original kalemat in the orangey bottle whose scent besotted me. But the vanilla was overwhelming after a while. The kalemat black reminded me of the original with all that sweetness taken out and a mysterious scent remaining.
I hope to re-visit this fragrance soon as I still remember how amazing this smelt and even though I don’t remember the exact scent, the memory of this being unique and besotting still remains with me.
Update: Oct 2017
I managed to smell it again and its sweeter than i remembered.
Very similar to the affordable Raghba Lataffa for women. But Kalemat Black is of supreme quality with killer longevity and sillage.
tars81 – :
I went to London and stopped by the Arabian Oud store on Oxford Street and found this gem. I was there to actually buy Ghroob Oil and some oud sticks. Well anyway, I smelled many perfums in the store even the (orange) Kalimat. I had just a tiny spritz of Kalemat black and then I just purchased the Ghroob and the Oud. One hour after the kalemat black spray I just had to go back to buy it, it was so amazing! The scent starts quite intense, but do not worry about this, after approximate 1 hour it turns to a creamy smoky vanilla amber scent. This fragrance has a strong personality, it is very sexy and you cant stop smelling your wrists. The price was also really nice, the weekend I visited the shop they had a quite hughe discount on many products including kalimat black. Original price at store was 100 pounds but I got it for 79.
Don’t spray this more than once though, it is very potent and it stays and stays, even on your clothes. This is a master piece as many says, i have never smelled anything like this, its gorgeous. 10/10
zof418InsuffBooni – :
Very nice frankincense and vanilla, the basil note tones down the vanilla and amber sweetness making it very tolerable and non cloying, lasts forever, oud is wonderful and also tones the sweetness down, syrupy and luscious, the only problem with this perfume is the sprayer, mists out and at the end it squires the last bit of perfume. Other than that issue that has nothing to to with the fragrance itself, this is a true masterpiece.
Rodnoy1985 – :
Basically
Top: Frankincense & Basil
Heart: Vanilla
Base: Oud & Amber
replace the name of Arabian Oud and put any other niche brand name, it’d hit 350$ and more, this is great, not substitute for Kalemat at all, yet this is more wearable, not overpowering like Kalemat, also it has a great performance and 12 solid hours longevity, Arabian Oud don’t mess around when it comes to performance because they know the middle eastern criteria very well, and they love the long lasting and the great silage perfumes, try it even if you don’t like Oud fragrances, this is a game changer.
aliki24 – :
Sehr El Kalemat (Kalemat Black) has Kalemat DNA with rich smelling oud and warm vanilla added. It gives you a beautiful smokey dark vanilla-honey balsamic scent, without being overly sweet. This fragrance seems to be more masculine than feminine even though it is listed as unisex.
Longevity is well over 12 hours and can be worn year-round, day or night. While walking, you will leave a delicious trail of fumes in your wake. Two sprays will fill a room, so go easy on this if you wear it to the office. Trust me, one or two sprays is enough.
This is an amazing EDP that receives many unsolicited compliments.
Highly recommended!
10/10
MAXIM270787 – :
While Kalemat seemed to be more about quality, Seher al Kalemat seems to be more about power. Should you decide to apply it directly on fabric, it will create a thick oily stain that will envelop you in a fragrant nebula strong enough to perfume you, your room and perhaps your house for the next 2-3 days.
Seher al Kalemat is one of the most opulent fragrances I have encountered so far, especially considering the short list of notes. Light incense opens the show, followed by smoky vanilla which is discreetely supported by a variety of fruity notes. After a few hours the vanilla gently resides to give place to Arabian Oud’s familiar mouth watering, glowing, thick ambery notes ingeniously balanced by tamed smoky oud.
During the far drydown and for the next few days (!) Seher al Kalemat retains most of its initial gourmand vibe but the presence of oud creates an additional woody aura, very elegant & sophisticated, reminiscent of aging oak barrels, blended with a light touch of sweet resins and delicately sprinkled with spices. Perhaps this is where the term “Black” comes into play.
Kalemat remains my top choice for subtle oriental indulgence, but should I choose, in a social event, to make my presence more than obvious . . . . it’s either Interlude or this intoxicating & addictive magic potion of oriental seduction.
Simplicity made perfect.
9/10
01Tim – :
This juice is potant 1 spary is required this is a proper middle eastern style scent so not for everyone sample before purchasing.
fktrcfylh168 – :
Arabian Oud Kalemat Black (aka Seher Al Kalemat) is a masterpiece IMO. Moreover, it is one of my most complimented fragrances and one of only two scents that is regularly complemented by men and women alike. Besides this fragrance smelling absolutely fan-tas-tic, it’s a great performer (fills a room) that lasts a solid 18-24 hours on my skin without fail. Of course, a few fragrances snobs (I call ’em noobs and boobs) will say crap like, “it’s a decent fragrance but not made of high-quality ingredients” merely because the label it doesn’t say Tom Ford or Creed and come with a $300 price-tag. LOL! IMO Kalemat Black is quite possibly the best Oriental Oud fragrance I have ever put my nose on. Simply a brilliant fragrance that uses superior ingredients whether this scent agrees with you or not.
Black smells similar to Kalemat when first sprayed, but within a few seconds it quickly turns into an incense-herbal scent on my skin; largely frankincense and basil, but I also detected a faint smokey-incense vibe along with a dark-woods accord…something like guaiac or blackwood if I were to venture a guess. It is very interesting and provocative.
There is also a spiced-sweetness vibe happening in the background which was intriguing, and intoxicating, although I did not love it at first because there was something a bit unfamiliar about it. An initial blast of Kalemat followed by an hour of a lightly spicy-sweet incense and dry ash is what I initially get out this fragrance, and I cannot resist sniffing my wrist with every wearing.
Over the next hours, Kalemat Black transitions into a wonderful vanilla-amber-oud scent on my skin, which is slightly creamy and not too sweet. Moreover, the oud is sweetened so some folks may not notice it since it blends well with the vanilla and amber. To me, this is a delicious vanilla-amber scent that’s not too gourmand. Moreover, from time-to-time I even detect a faint whisper of cinnamon well into the drydown. This phase of the fragrance fools me into thinking that it sits moderately on my skin (olfactory overload?)…yet, the oud is pushing-out the scent because folks in the room will smell you without effort. So go light on the triggers, if necessary.
Longevity is clearly 24+ hours on my skin…however, unlike the original Kalemat, projection is more difficult to judge with this Black flanker. However, I’ve worn it enough to confidently say that it projects heavily, but not quite beast mode IMO. Overall, I love this fragrance! I’ve wore Kalemat Black in 80-85 degree heat and, surprisingly, it wasn’t the least bit cloying. Nice!
While I also love the original Kalemat, I feel it is better suited for the ladies while the darker/more interesting Kalemat Black, is the perfect gentleman’s fragrance for the Fall and Winter months. Moreover, while I receive plenty of compliments while wearing Kalemat, the compliments are off-the-chain when wearing Kalemat Black. For example, just the other night my gal tells me how I great I smell, the male clerk at the 7-11 tells me how great I smell, then the hostess at the restaurant tells me how great I smell, and finally our waitress tells me how great I smell. But wait!…while standing at the bar waiting for my gal to use the ladies room, a woman sitting at the bar tells me how great I smell. It’s insane! I receive complements all the time while wearing my Aventus, The One, etc. but, as I mentioned, the compliment factor is off the charts.
Magic of Words indeed!!!
Emporio – :
A Dark- Decadent- Sweet Addiction. Ditto :Demon718.
Phoenix – :
Absolutely mindblowing. 10/10. Video review coming up on Exotic Scents.
sa8V2Zw9 – :
Scent – vanillin amber, dry smoky patchouli & olibanum.
Season/Time of Day – I prefer to use this one in the colder months, day or night.
Projection – I did get noticed, I didn’t get a compliment.
Longevity – I get 24hrs consistently.
andry-san – :
Go Get it!!…. simple… the very best of Orientals at darn cheap price…. Totally in love.
katzuro – :
On my 3rd bottle,(my cousins keep nicking it when they come to visit and find out which perfume i’m always wearing)- they say “it smells like you got money”i’m not too good smelling/naming individual notes but it reminds my of black berry mixed with honey from bees that feed only on roses. Manly sweetness. love love love
sajer – :
Guys now that I have wore it for some time, let me tell u this is strong, distinctive and totally versatile frag. daytime with 1-2 sprays night 2-3 sprays will do. Longevity is 15+ hours easily and projection is heavy not enormous.
at start it is Bakhour(arabic incense u can say; NOT at all ash like). Oud in it is a smokey one which stays throughout, embed masterfully in light vanilla. Florals are pretty light to not distinguishable.
Evening dinner with black suit at fall/winter is the perfect match for it. This is among the very best of Middle Eastern perfumery. Definitely BUY! even for the package alone which has been amazingly well thought and done. Sehr Kalemat means “Magic of Words” in Arabic and the scent itself comes in a book case.
genagelda – :
Funny thing: I’ve had this scent for about three years, but it has been sitting in the back of my closet. For whatever reason, I found it too strong upon initial use and it went into the way back. Until tonight.
My goodness, what a nice scent. Amber, frankincense, and vanilla, this is a wonderful introduction into an Arabic Oriental without veering into “Orientalism” or a parody of Arabic scents. Very warm with excellent projection and staying power without being obnoxious. I do sense a similarity to Black Afgano, but Kalemat is a tad sweeter, lacking the deep resinous incense of BA. Both are class.
Not a subtle scent–projection and longevity are pure beast–so I would dare to say you could get away with wearing this to work if you live in the Middle East like I do. Otherwise it would make a great winter or evening scent, or anytime you’d like to make a statement.
Use: Office (if tolerant), evenings
Season: Fall, Winter, Spring/Summer nights
Projection: Oh Yeah!
Longevity: Love you long timez
Rating: 4/5
hanter06 – :
The real name of this fragrance is “Seher Al Kalemat” (the magic of words).
This is an oriental smokey mango smell. That’s it. No oud, no nonsense.
I’m amazed by how the oud note is rated highly in the “Main Notes According to Votes”. The oud here is almost undetectable & I’d know. I am from the Middle East. Lived here my entire life. Smelled hundreds of oud oils & perfumes over the years & Seher Al Kalemat (Kalemat Black) is NOT an oud perfume. You might notice the olibanum but not oud.
Such a disappointment. But it’s no surprise.
If you are looking for oud, Kalemat Black is not it, but it is in its own self a decent, terribly overpriced oriental smell, that’s long lasting with radiating projection.
Izida – :
I love this scent,It’s Amazing .I give this one an all around 10 thats how good it is ..Try It you wont regret it ..IMHO
19bas57 – :
What a great scent, One of my favorites, Last the entire day on my skin and project like a beast, Top quality.
Jechka – :
I get an absolutely stunning opening blast of Frankincense paired with woodiness that I assume comes from the oud/agarwood and maybe some cedar. A beautiful, clean oud/wood that makes me speechless. Soon after the amber and vanilla emerges and I find myself in fragrance heaven. I can’t remember when I fell so hard for a perfume. IMHO, much better and more balanced than the original Kalemat, which is nice but more leathery, animalic and for me more difficult to wear.
After the initial stages Black Kalemat reminds me very much of Black Afgano minus the skanky notes. In the drydown they are indeed close if not dead ringer. Same caramel-ish amber and vanilla pared with oud and incense. I really like Black Afgano but I love this gem. Same longevity in both but this fellow leaves a much more present sillage. I have actually never received a compliment wearing Black Afgano, but with this every single time. I’m so happy to have found this treasure thanks to all you reviewers here on Fragrantica.
кирюша – :
Very close to the original kalemat in the opening but then morphs into a deeper oud with vanilla. Absolutely as good as the original and better than most Ouds I’ve tried. The value here is incredible. Low price, great scent that lasts. Arabian Oud knows how to do it.
vania_95 – :
Songe D’Un Bois D’Ete *minus* Leather Oud = Kalemat Black
Ok, I probably oversimplified it but you got the picture. A inexplicably addictive mix of smooth woody notes, vanilla and resins enriched by fruity facets and distant spicy echoes. It’s sweet and sort of gourmand but not overly so. On top of that, it has a certain exoticism that’s only typical of eastern perfumery. Simple, dirt cheap, very easy to like and by far better than most Montales. Incredible lasting power.
A guilty pleasure.
Rating: 7/10
Mebbj465bedyWelty – :
This is a somewhat unsophisticated but enjoyable Eastern gourmand that merges sweet and resinous notes against a lively backdrop of woods, fruits, spices, and florals.
It begins with a honey accord, a tobacco leaf-ish thing, frankincense, myrrh, and something that smells vaguely like sweet oud. It’s a tad medicinal (oud, saffron) and there are some dormant florals (a damascone rose, for sure) as well as subtle fruit notes (no idea). It’s a bombastic start with a dominant impression of dry, honeyed sweetness. Picture Back to Black without the powder, Absolue pour le Soir without the skank, and Interlude Man without the oregano—it’s somewhere between those three and performs just as forcefully.
It wears quite linear but with different facets moving in and out of focus (the florals and the frankincense, mainly), yet it does seem to get gradually more dry over time with the tobacco-leaf note stepping up front to merge with the honey. At this point, it’s really about those two primary notes and that’s where it stays for a few hours. The dry down is more of a rudimentary, syrupy amber—the kind you find in Interlude—and it stays with your for the long haul. And the long haul is long—around 12 hours or so for me. There’s a lot to notice